BY ANGEL MANUEL RODRIGUEZ
Paul wrote that women should cover their heads in church
(1 Cor. 11:2-16). Why do we not enforce that mandate?
The passage you refer to is difficult to interpret, mainly
because we are not as well-informed about the topic as Paul's original readers
were. Scholars have written much about this passage and its sociohistorical
background, but still they disagree. A careful analysis of the verses requires
much more space than I have here. So the information I provide will contribute
to an answer and stimulate you to do your own research and analysis of the text.
Adventists have traditionally taken what the Bible says at
face value, unless its context suggests otherwise. In some cases a biblical
passage may be addressing a topic of relevance only to the original readers,
such as, for instance, removing one's sandals when approaching God (Ex. 3:5),
a sign of reverence and respect. There are places in the world where you have
to remove your shoes before entering an Adventist church. But in the Western
world we show reverence in different ways. We interpret Paul's counsel on female
head covering as a cultural issue. Here are some reasons.
1. Variety of Views in the Bible: That the topic of
wearing a veil is a cultural matter is suggested by the fact that during the
biblical period the practice varied. In the time of the patriarchs prostitutes
covered their face with a veil (Gen. 38:14, 15). Interestingly, Middle Assyrian
laws (twelfth century B.C.) did not allow prostitutes to wear a veil. Much later
we find some women in Israel wearing a long veil during magical or divinatory
rites (Eze. 13:17-21). A bride covered her face before her wedding as a sign
of modesty. Some biblical passages suggest that the wedding veil was an ornamental
diaphanous veil (S. of Sol. 4:1, 3; 6:7). A veil that covered the whole face—as
we find today in the Islamic world—was probably unknown in Israel. More
common was the shawl placed on the head, which in some cases was a sign of humiliation
and mourning, as suggested by the women depicted in the stone engravings of
Sennacherib, wearing them while leaving the city of Lachish after its fall.
David also covered his head in mourning (2 Sam. 15:30). No Old Testament law
required women or men to wear a head covering; the social practice was simply
accepted as appropriate.
2. Purpose of the Cultural Practice: Paul is not discussing
the veil that covered the face of a woman, but a shawl placed on the head during
worship. The use of a female head covering was common in Greek and Roman societies.
Studies made about the Roman practice reveal that prostitutes were forbidden
to wear one and that both women and men covered their heads during worship as
a sign of reverence and piety. In fact, the shawl was part of the Greek robe,
not a separate piece. Greek culture did not require men to cover their heads
in worship. That was also the case among Jews. In Roman culture the female head
covering was a symbol of high moral values, preservation of femininity, and
commitment to the husband; wearing it brought honor to the husband and the family.
3. Reason for Paul's Counsel: Paul was promoting among Christians a social
practice related to proper attire. The basic values represented by the head
covering were compatible with the Christian message, and rejecting the practice
could have brought discredit to the church. The wise approach was to continue
to do what was practiced by Christian women before they became Christians, in
order to demonstrate that Christianity supported society's high values and not
moral corruption. But not all Roman women covered their heads; wealthy women
were somewhat socially liberated, and it is possible that some of them became
Christians and did not cover their heads in worship. Paul would have been trying
to correct that attitude to protect the integrity of the community of believers.
The fact that covering the head was a cultural issue does not
mean that what Paul wrote is meaningless for us. The values he was attempting
to inculcate in believers are to be preserved by us and embodied in other ways.
Values such as modesty, bringing honor to our families in the way we dress and
act, and preserving sexual differences (gender specificity) in our appearance
and demeanor are not culturally determined.
_________________________
Angel Manuel Rodríguez is director of the Biblical Research Institute
of the General Conference.
